


Pirate King

by Angelwon



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Fantastic Racism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Murder, No Smut, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Fandoms Not Mentioned in Tags, Siren Wooyoung, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-04-20
Packaged: 2019-10-26 16:34:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17749493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelwon/pseuds/Angelwon
Summary: "Oh, so you've heard of me before?""Of course I have," Yeosang replied testily. "You're Kim Hongjoong, the captain of the pirate vessel Treasure. You're infamous."The man raised a brow at him and smirked.Yeosang could feel his heart hammering wildly in his chest. He was so screwed.-Yeosang is an ex-prostitute, a murderer, and a thief who finds himself in the hands of the legendary Pirate King.Having been played with by fate time and time again, he is at first hesitant to trust the strange new pirates and struggles to connect to them. However, when a beloved crew member is found brutally murdered, the hunt for his killer forces Yeosang to confront familiar faces from his past.





	1. Prologue: Promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story takes place in a time period that's a mix of the 1600s-1700s (aka the Golden Age of Piracy) and modern time (now). I don't really know how to explain but just imagine a fusion of modern technologies and styles and how you'd imagine how things were like back then. 
> 
> The geography of the world here may also be different because it's in a whole other universe. Also in this story, mythical creatures like mermaids, faeries etc coexist with humans and that little tidbit will be pretty important to the story later on.
> 
> Pirate life in this story also won't be a completely accurate depiction of how real pirates were like. It'll be similar but not the same.
> 
> TW (for this chapter but some also applies to some chapters late on): Implied/referenced rape, sexual harassment, child prostitution, child abuse

The sound of the waves crashing against the shore when the sea was calm was a familiar and comforting presence for the people who lived by the sea.

It was therapeutic listening to the sound of the water as it washed up against the sand. The waves brought fresh seaweeds and various seashells of different shapes and sizes along with it. The gusty wind blowing over the salty water occasionally created a high pitched whistling sound and gave off a pleasant breeze to cool off those who came in contact with it.

One could just sit there and listen to the repetitious sound of the waves and the wind as all their concerns and worries washed away with the water just for a small moment…

 

In a grand mansion by the sea, two young boys were nestled close next to each other under a large window overlooking the water. One boy was lying against the wall, absentmindedly stroking the other's hair. The gentle moonlight filtering in through the transparent curtains hanging over the windows bathed them in its light and cast an ethereal glow about them.

The boy against the wall appeared to be older than the other if only by a few years. He was thin and dark haired with a purple bruise blossoming from under his right eye. On the other side of his face was a squiggly shaped pinkish-reddish birthmark next to his eye. His legs were littered with fading bruises and peeking through the semi-transparent shirt he wore were raised red welts on his back

The other boy had soft wavy brown hair and wide scared eyes. His head was lying against the first boy's shoulder and his eyes were fixated on the doors nervously. He was lanky and anxious looking with streaks of dried tear tracks running down his cheeks.

The room they were in, an expensively furnished office with dozens of heavy bookshelves lined up against the walls and a large unused grand fireplace, was mostly silent with a heavy atmosphere. Somewhere outside the room, two men were yelling colorful profanities and curses at each other. The sound was mostly blocked out by the dense wooden doors but it could still be faintly heard from the room.

“Yeosang? I’m scared…” the brown haired boy said, turning his head around to look at his friend. His dark eyebrows were furrowed and his lips trembled. “I messed- I messed up. He’s angry. I- I’m,” his eyes watered up and he reached his hands up to his face to roughly rub the tears away.

“No no Gunho, it’s not your fault,” Yeosang reassured him, holding onto the younger boys shoulders comfortingly. Despite his actions and reassurances, worry nipped at his stomach like acid eating away a material.

“Yes it is, I- I got scared. I couldn’t handle it and the client got angry. I-I-“ Gunhos voice choked up as a fresh wave of tears threatened to break free. “Oh god I don’t know what do,” he whimpered. He pulled away from Yeosang and rubbed at his entire face aggressively.

“Oh, Gunho…” Yeosang whispered. His eyes were mournful and he wanted to say something to help comfort the younger, but he didn’t know what to say. Gunho removed his hands to look at Yeosang. His cheeks and nose were reddening and his wide eyes were wet and panicked with a realization, “Sangie, he’s drunk. “He-he's drunk I’m in so much trouble,” he whispered fearfully.

Yeosang shook his head vigorously, “No no no it’ll be fine. You’ll be fine. I’ll-I’ll be there, I’ll protect you.” he whispered.

But there really wasn’t much he could do. Despite the fact that Yeosang was the boss’ favorite, both of them knew that he would be powerless against the boss especially when he was intoxicated. However, Yeosang needed to comfort Gunho in any way he could so he gave out comforting words and sweet promises that he prayed he could live up too.

Gunho sniffled, “Ok,” he said. A small part of him knew that Yeosang most likely wouldn’t be able to hold up to what he said if the boss was truly angry, but he wanted to hold on to the faint glimmer of hope, comfort and the promise of safety so he forced himself to believe him.

He laid his head back down on Yeosangs shoulder and forced himself to focus on the distant sound of the surf while taking slow deep breaths to calm himself. Other than Yeosang, the sound of the waves was what gave him the most comfort over the few years he spent living in the mansion. Every day, they could be heard. His childhood home had been located near the ocean and every night when he was young he fell asleep to the relaxing sound of the ocean waves.

Now, they were what kept him sane. Even on days when there were tropical storms and the formerly tranquil waters threatened to engulf the peninsula, he felt at ease by the water.

“Sangie?” he suddenly mumbled. Yeosang looked down at the younger boy, “Yeah?”

Gunho turned to look at Yeosang and placed hands over Yeosang’s hand. “We’ll get out of here one day, Sangie,” he swore. “We’ll get far away from here and live happily. I don’t know how or when but it will happen,” Yeosang gaped at him in surprise, but then he smiled softly and placed his other hand over Gunho’s hands.

“Of course,” he responded. “But for now we just have to survive and bide our time. Then we can leave this hellhole, together.” Gunho glanced at Yeosang for a brief moment and cracked a tiny smile. “We’ll go live a nice place,” he continued. “I don’t know if it’ll be by the water or inland, but it will be far far away from here. We’ll find my big brother and live together and we’ll be happy and safe.” he allowed himself to get lost in his fantasy but soon his eyes watered up again.

“Oh, who am I kidding? This will never happen. We’re stuck here. We can’t escape,” he moaned pitifully. He pulled his hands away and tilted his head up against the wall in anguish.

Sensing the youngers rapid mood change, Yeosang panicked and said the first thing that came to mind.”No! Stop it Gunho. We’re getting out of here,” he declared. Gunho looked over at him in shock. “What?” He whispered.

Yeosang got on his knees in front of Gunho and grasped onto his hands, holding them tightly. “I promise someday we’ll get out of here,” he answered. “I’ll figure out a way for us to escape and we’ll be free. No matter what may happen, no matter what obstacles we’ll come across, we will escape,” he said. His voice got stronger with every word he said.

Gunho stared back at him with an enraptured look on his face. The pale moonlight reflected on Yunho’s dark eyes and it surrounded him in a halo of light. It gave him the appearance of a heavenly angel who had come down to earth to fix the wrongdoings of humankind, but the angel was caught and exploited by the very same people he wished to save.

Yeosang took a deep breath. “Promise me,” he continued, “Promise me, that no matter what happens, you’ll make it out of here,” he stared into Gunho’s eyes and squeezed his hand even tighter, almost as if he was expecting to be rejected.

“I-I,” Gunho cleared his throat, “I promise,” he finally stammered out.

Yeosang let out a sigh of relief and let go of the death grip he had on Gunho’s hands. “Ok, good. It would’ve been really awkward if you didn’t agree because I don’t know what I would’ve done then.”

Gunho stared at Yeosang incredulously before bursting into laughter. “You’re ridiculous,” he said while smiling widely. Yeosang grinned back at him, watching the younger boy laugh with his own smile mirrored on his face. For a brief moment, they were closest to what could be described as happiness. High on their promise, they were content with themselves. It was one of the most positive things that had happened to them both while staying in the mansion. The older boy gained more light in his mostly dead eyes and the younger boy’s doused energy and passion were reignited again.

Under the moonlight, the two boys made a promise to each other. A promise to escape their torturous lives. To leave the mansion by the sea, the beautiful place that disguised a living hell for those who served there. To live a life free from servitude.

Their promise was what caused their downfall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prologue isn't pirate related but it's important because it gives you a look into Yeosang's past. If it wasn't clear, Yeosang and Gunho (who's actually Yunho's brother) are both (unwilling and underage) child prostitutes who live in a mansion together with a couple other "workers" and a boss. 
> 
> Yeosang and Gunho are the closest to each other and while this chapter makes it seem like they're the only ones there, they're not.
> 
> Next chapter will have some pirate action and it'll be set three years after this.
> 
> Hope you liked this! I promise things will pick up next chapter, in the meantime, kudos and comments about what you think so far would be appreciated :)


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for your comments on the last chapter! 
> 
> I was kinda worried that it was going to be a disappointing thing to see when you click on a story expecting pirates but no one outright complained about it so that's good enough for me. 
> 
> Also, there are going to characters in this story that are idols along with random oc's. The idols will be listed in the endnotes for visualization references or so you just know.

The barred door of the prison cell unlocked and the rusty metal slowly creaked open. Two male prison guards entered the cell. One held a long piece of coarse rope in hand while the other held a sheet of paper.

The man with the rope was youthful with dark blond hair while the other was closer to middle-aged with a shadowy stubble spreading around his face. His face was twisted in displeasure and he stared at the lump on the floor with eyes full of malice.

The occupant of the cell was lying down on the dirt floor, facing towards the wall and away from the bars. He was gaunt and dressed in dirty rags, flaxen hair unwashed and tangled.

A sliver of sunshine slipped through the narrow single window of the cell and created a thin line of light that separated him from the intruders.

The younger guard cleared his throat in an attempt to awaken the prisoner but elicited no response. Before he could try to shake him awake the other guard shouldered past him and yanked the prisoner up by his hair.

“I know you’re awake, stop pretending,” he growled. The prisoner opened his eyes and slapped the guard’s hand away while muttering something under his breath.

The gentler guard started to bind his hands tightly behind his back with the rope while the other guard watched with his arm crossed. The paper he had was clenched tightly in his hands. When the guard finished tying the prisoner’s wrists together behind his back, the older man unfolded the paper, cleared his throat, and started to read.

“Kang Yeosang, nineteen years old and of unknown origins has been found guilty on eight charges of thievery, three counts of murder, and unlawful prostitution,” he started.

“Mr. Kang is therefore sentenced to death by hanging for his nefarious crimes against the good people of this country and the many others he’s committed crimes in. Effective immediately,” he smiled wickedly at Yeosang when he finished as if he delighted in reading out his death sentence.

Yeosang kept the same impassive expression on his face and showed no physical reaction. His dark eyes continued staring at a crack in the wall.

The guard frowned, disappointed. He had expected a more dramatic response but the prisoner seemed to not care. It was almost as if he expected it.

“Come on, let’s go,” the younger guard said. He tugged on Yeosangs arms and started to walk out of the cell, gesturing for the other two to follow. Yeosang slowly shuffled forwards, not really wanting to leave.

From behind him, the middle-aged guard shoved him towards the door roughly, annoyed at how slow he was being. “Come on, move it you worthless whore,” he said.

Yeosang tripped and would’ve fallen over if it weren’t for the other guard grabbing onto his shoulder to steady him. He whipped his head around and glared at the guard behind him, showing the most extreme reaction he's had so far. “Rude bitch,” he snarled angrily.

The guards face flushed red with anger. “What did you call me?” He grabbed onto the boy’s hair and yanked him forwards, smashing the back of his head against the damp stone wall harshly. The other guard opened his mouth to protest the manhandling but the furious glare of his companion shut him up.

“Now listen here, Yeosang,” the guard whispered, condescendingly pronouncing the name. His face was centimeters away from Yeosangs and he could feel vaguely fell the stubble poking against the side of his jaw through the pulses of pain in his head. He held back a repulsed shudder.

“You and I both know what’s going to happen to you. You are going to die today. There’s no hope for you,” The guard grinned, showing off his sharp yellowed teeth.

“By the end of this day, you’ll be nothing more than a rotting corpse with a rope wrapped around his neck left for the vultures to eat. That’s what happens to pathetic little thieves and whores like you,” The tight grip on Yeosangs hair loosened and let go as another hand reached up to caress his shoulder. The hand that was holding onto his hair gently ran down his back.

“Now if you don’t behave and make trouble for us, well,” the hand suddenly grasped onto his rear and squeezed. Yeosang tensed up and clenched his fists. The guard’s mouth was now brushing against Yeosangs cheeks, dangerously close to his lips.

“It wouldn’t be too odd for a prisoner to suddenly disappear before he goes to the gallows.” he mused. “Especially when the said prisoner has a track record of constantly escaping from his captives.”

The other guard who was still watching the exchange from the side uncomfortably cut the man off. “Dolton-” he started.

“Not now, Daniel,” the guard, Dolton, snapped, turning around to scowl at the young man who immediately looked away with pursed lips. His fists were clenched and his eyes were filled with disgust but he stayed silent.

Dolton returned his attention back on Yeosang and continued with his monologue. “No one would question it if you were too suddenly disappear, only to return with me, your responsible guard. But who knows what might’ve happened during the time you were gone.”

There was a crazy, hateful gleam in his eyes. Spittle flew from his mouth with every word he spoke as he got more and more into his insane fantasy.

Yeosang cringed away from him the best he could with him being face to face and tried to steady his breathing. He could feel himself getting sweaty and agitated. Embarrassment and shame burned in his chest.

“Who knows what might’ve happened between a misbehaving prostitute and his guard? All they would know is that you somehow escaped before your execution but then I got you back. That I did my job. They wouldn’t notice or care if you return a little different. But that wouldn’t matter, you’ll be dead soon, and no one cares about unwanted whores like you who wastes their life living as prostitutes,” he spat the word out in disgust, “and robbing hard working people from their gold.”

Yeosang licked and bit on his lip nervously. A heavy feeling had started to settle deep within his stomach and it had nothing to do with the fact that he would have a rope around his neck soon. He could feel his heartbeats speeding up and old feelings of shame and disgust bubble up and resurface.

He was used to this. Used to being looked down on and being treated like he was nothing because he was a sex worker. Even though it wasn't his choice, all his life he had been belittled and judged for what he was forced to do. But he hadn’t felt the feeling of shame and humiliation in a while. Not after he left.

Now it was hitting him back full force.

“You wouldn’t,” Yeosang finally responded, but uncertainty and fear made his voice waver. He silently cursed himself for sounding so weak, so helpless, and so easy to prey on. Dolton smiled and ruffled Yeosang’s hair as his only response. “Come on, let’s go.”

He started to walk ahead but stopped and turned around to look at Daniel. “Not a word, you hear me?” he barked. Daniel nodded stiffly, clenching his jaw down to stop himself from saying anything. Dolton grinned, “Good boy,” he purred. He redirected Yeosang down the hallway towards the stairwell and started whistling cheerfully.

Daniel made eye contact with Yeosang and flashed him a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry,” he mouthed. Yeosang turned away from him. “Don’t be,” he muttered. Daniel opened his mouth to say something else, but then glanced over at Dolton and stopped himself.

 

+✧+✧+✧+✧+✧+

 

Walking through the small coastal town of Aesica to get to the gallows was honestly one of the most annoying experiences in Yeosangs life.

A large percentage of the people residing in the town came from insanely wealthy families whose older generations were the type who would turn their noses up on the less fortunate and forbid two young people of the opposite gender to spend time together alone.

The younger people, on the other hand, had only lived in Aesica all their lives and were taught by their parents not to interact with any of the merchants that came through. As a result, most of them had very narrow-minded views on certain topics and were sheltered from the outside world.

While Yeosang was being escorted through the town to the destination of his execution, a small gathering of women dressed in elegant gowns of fine silk and pounds of expensive sparkling jewelry gathered together near the merry trio. Hushed whisperings of ‘What's going on?’ and ‘Ooh, wait, something is getting hanged today!’ followed by excited chattering spread around the cluster of women as more and more finely dressed people joined.

However, the moment they heard that a _prostitute_ was going to be hanged, they, to put it in a blunt way, lost their shit. Horrified and scandalized gasps rang out as more and more people found out who Yeosang was through brief explanations of what a prostitute was. _(‘It’s a person who…well,’ ‘A person who what?’ ‘Someone who has… sexual intercourse for money…’ ‘Oh my goodness!’)_

Yeosang stared down at the ground and internally scoffed at the overdramatic reactions. He didn’t understand them. Those were the same people who watched the public hangings or whippings of criminals or pickpockets or whoever got unlucky enough to be publicly punished for entertainment.

Why was it so scandalous that one of the criminals just so happened to be a person who formerly had sex in exchange for money? The whisperings and gasping and the burn of eyes on him should have been embarrassing or at the very least uncomfortable, but some of the over the top reactions were just so extreme they weren’t even funny.

One woman in blue had fainted in shock and fallen into the arms of the man beside her. He caught her immediately and started cursing at Yeosang for causing the woman her strife. The people around them nodded and murmured amongst themselves, most likely agreeing about how scandalized they were and how they never realized that people like Yeosang existed.

Another man noticed that Yeosang was looking over at them and immediately threw himself in front of a young woman like he was protecting her from him. The other men around him applauded him for his work.

Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.

“Ignore them,” Daniel whispered. From beside him, Dolton grunted something that sounded suspiciously like, “They ain’t wrong though.”

Yeosang ignored both of them and continued walking ahead. He lifted his chin up and held his head up high. If he was going to die, which there was no way out of that Yeosang could see, then he might as damn well die without letting the opinions of other people weigh him down.

The rocky cobblestone street, however, was making it hard for Yeosang to walk without tripping over. His vision was beginning to blur and his movements felt sluggish. He felt tired all of the sudden. When was the last time he ate?

His bare feet dragged over the uneven stone pieces and a light dusting of dirt stuck to his toes. ‘How do these damn rich people walk on this. Why can’t they use some of their money to get better streets,’ he grumbled to himself.

Finally, after what felt like hours, they arrived at the scaffold. The crowd of people following them had dispersed and regrouped in several crowds around the platform.

The event was originally going to be a quick and quiet affair. It hadn’t been too publicized as Yeosang wasn’t a well-known criminal in the area. However, news of his hanging had spread around the gossip circles like wildfire and soon half the people living in the town had come out to watch.

The idea of ordinary people watching, even enjoying watching convicts die would have been absurd to Yeosang if he didn’t understand why they did it. People got a feeling of superiority that they weren’t the ones to die. They also felt like justice was being served when someone ‘bad’ was killed, and that they were doing gods work.

Now Yeosang didn’t consider himself a bad person. He knows and acknowledges that a good number of the things he’s done after leaving the mansion was pretty, well, illegal. But he did what he had to do to survive. As for the people he killed, they deserved it.

Dolton grabbed onto his arm and pushed him up the creaking wooden stairs up onto the stage. He faced the anticipating crowd and started delivering a speech. Most likely giving them information about Yeosnag and the various crimes he’s committed.

(Horrified gasps and shocked whispering immediately followed the announcement of Yeosang being a former prostitute. Seriously, have these people never heard of a prostitute before?)

Yeosang stood behind Dolton and stared off into space. It was a relatively nice day out, he noted. The sky was pale blue and dotted with a few thin fluffy clouds. He glanced over at the noose. The rope looked so harmless, but it would be what finally kills him.

After nineteen long years, this would be how he dies.

Yeosang hadn’t felt any anxiety about his hanging because every time his thoughts led to that direction, he forced himself to think about something else. But now it was reality and the realization hit him like a sack of bricks.

There had been times before when he wanted to die. Wished he was dead, prayed for it even. But now, moments away from actual death itself, he wanted to live.

He had nothing to live for. Everything he had ever cared for had been stripped away from him, every semblance of love and care, of things worth living for, was gone.

He was alone in this world.

However, he didn’t want to die. A small desperate part of him fought for survival. Fought to survive so that one-day things might get better. That he’d finally be accepted and treated as an equal. It fought for the mere possibility that he would be loved, cared for.

But he was going to die, and there was no denying that.

Old memories resurfaced from the depths of his mind and played out like strips of film.

The first time he met his soon to be boss at the cursed orphanage all those years ago.

Getting taken away or ‘adopted’ as the woman at the orphanage had told him. Later being told by his new parent that he would have to have sex with clients when he grew up or else he would be killed.

His first time.

Meeting Gunho for the first time.

Gradually getting closer to Gunho and loving him like the brother he never had.

The promise.

And finally, a blurry, unstable image of Gunho lying down on an embroidered carpet, large bruises wrapped around his neck. Glassy lifeless eyes wide open, staring into nothingness.

Blood.

So much blood.

Screaming.

Then, silence.

He stepped on top of the stool. Dolton grinned viscously as he untied his binds. “Goodbye, whore,” he whispered.

So close. They were so close.

Yeosang felt the rope come closer and closer to his neck. The crowd watched and murmured excitedly amongst themselves. Daniel looked away towards the water, uncomfortable. His eyes suddenly widened and he gasped.

“Pira-“  He began. But it was too late.

Off in the distance, cannon fire was heard. A plume of ashy smoke rose from the port and soon after another explosion rocked the earth. Yeosang whipped his head around to look just as Dolton kicked the stool away. His head narrowly missed being caught in the rope and he lost his balance and fell onto the ground slamming against his shoulder harshly.

A chorus of screams filled the air. “Pirates! PIRATES! RUN!” The mob of people pushed and shoved each other in their haste to get out of dangers way.

Dolton looked over at Yeosangs limp body as if he was internally debating something, growled, and ran off the platform and towards the direction of the explosions.

Another bomb went off and landed on the towns century-old church, decimating it in an instant. Thousands of pieces of crumbling stone and glass and dust rained down on the helpless bystanders and fire set the nearby plants ablaze.

The erratic screaming and the smell of smoke and destruction filled the air. Yeosang rolled over on his back and started panting heavily.

So close.

He was so close to death.

Oh god.

He looked around. Everyone had deserted the area. Dolton had run off and Daniel had vanished. Off in the distance, packs of men, _pirates_ , had come ashore and started looting buildings, taking food, alcohol, gold, anything valuable.

This was his chance to escape.

He shakily got onto his feet and hissed as a jolt of pain that ran through his left side. His knees buckled and he fell back down. Groaning in pain he latched onto the wooden railings with his right hand and ignored the sharp stabs of pain in his palm as serrated wood pieces jabbed into his skin. Hauling himself up, he hobbled off the wooden platform.

In his current state, there was no way he would be able to run off or fight. But if he were to hide in a secure location until the pirates leave, then his chances of survival would significantly increase.

He scanned his surroundings. A light cloud of smoke and ash and dust had engulfed the town. Everything in his vicinity was misty and gray and the smokey smell was starting to make his head spin. He stumbled forwards and crashed against a palm tree. “Oh my god,” he groaned, gasping for breath.

“Oh my god indeed,” a voice from behind him said.

“Wha-” before Yeosang could take a look at who was behind him or defend himself, a large object smashed down on his head and knocked him to the ground. Blearily he could make out the image of a man, tan skinned and young looking, crouching down towards him before his vision faded to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a longer chapter this time so that's why it took so long.
> 
> Daniel the (nice) guard is Kang Daniel from Wanna One (or Wanna Gone since they gone now :/) (sorry I make jokes to deal with the pain)
> 
> Anyway thanks for reading! (＾▽＾) 
> 
> Kudos and comments about what you think so far would be appreciated!


	3. Chapter 2

The first thing Yeosang realized when he came back to blurry consciousness was that he was lying down somewhere with a heavy metal chain fastened to a wrist. There was some sort of damp cloth wrapped around his forehead and his entire head throbbed painfully. Faintly he registered the smell of salt and fish. 

‘Ugh, where am I…’ he thought.

A hushed whispering voice was heard somewhere to Yeosangs right and he froze, heartbeat speeding up in panic and fear. There was the sound of a hard slap and a deep male voice hissing ‘You fucking worthless  _ witch fish _ .’

Needless to say, Yeosang was quite confused. He fought the urge to open his eyes and instead opted on trying to figure out where he was. 

He could feel that he was lying down on a slightly damp, but hard wooden surface. A dull pain throbbed throughout his entire body but was most prominent in his head and left arm. Despite lying down, he felt woozy, like the ground was tilting side to side.

The sound of a door opening and slamming shut was heard. After a tense moment of silence, a tiny gasp and some shuffling were heard.

Before Yeosang could ponder more about what was going, he felt himself slipping back into unconsciousness.

 

The second time Yeosang woke, it was to the sound of a metal door slowly creaking open and soft footsteps pattering towards where he laid. Another door creaked open and the footsteps drew closer. 

Panic flared up in his system and his eyes flew open. He scrambled up and shoved the figure away just as they were approaching him and clambered to the wall corner. He grabbed onto his chain and held it up in front of himself in defense.

“Stay back!” he yelled. “Stay- stay,” a sharp jab of pain hit his left arm and he bent over hissing from the feeling, chain falling from his hand and clattering onto the floor with a violent clanking sound.

“Hey hey hey, it’s fine. I won’t hurt you,” the other person swore, holding his palms up peacefully and backing away. 

Breathing heavily, Yeosang looked up at the intruder. The male was tall and slim with dripping purple hair. Yeosang held back a dropped jaw. The stranger was undoubtedly gorgeous; he had a chiseled face with long lashes framing intense dark eyes. A thin iron chain was wrapped around his neck like a necklace and his skin was smooth and tanned with a few small pale scars and a cut on his face being the only blemishes.

“I’m here to help you,” the man whispered soothingly, taking a cautious step forward. 

Yeosang narrowed his eyes suspiciously the best he could. “Why?” he demanded, voice raspy. “Who are you? Where am I and what do you want with me?”

“I can explain everything if you just let me change your bandage,” the man said, pointing to the cloth on Yeosang’s head. Yeosang shakily moved his hand up and gently pressed his fingers against the cloth. He drew them back and stared at them. The tips were covered in a thin sheen of blood. Yeosang slumped down against the wall. A wave of nausea and pain hit him.

“Yeah, yeah, ok,” he mumbled, eyes unfocused. The purple haired man picked up a tray with an unused strip of cloth and a bowl of water from the floor up and carried it over to where Yeosang was. “This might sting a little,” he murmured, reaching up to untie the cloth from Yeosangs head. 

He gently peeled the stained fabric away and dropped it to the side. While he worked, he whispered calming words to Yeosang. 

‘He has a really nice voice,’ Yeosang thought. It was soft and soothing, silky and smooth. “Thank you,” the man said, smiling slightly. 

‘Oh, did I say that aloud?’ Yeosang thought sluggishly. He could feel himself growing lethargic and light headed. The man grinned, showing pearly sharp white teeth. “Yeah,” he chuckled. 

“Oh…”

Soon after, Yeosang passed out. The man finished rebandaging and tossed the dirty strips of cloth into the murky red water bowl and heaved a sigh. He gazed at the sleeping figure in front of him. Yeosang was slouched over, blond fringe hanging in front of his face. He looked serene, innocent.

“I’m sorry,” the man whispered. “I had to bring you,” he pushed Yeosang into a more comfortable lying position before picking up the tray and standing up. Giving Yeosangs sleeping figure one last look, he exited the room quietly.

 

The next time Yeosang awoke, the purple haired-man was leaning against the wall next to his cell picking at his nails. Yeosang shifted and realized that he was lying down instead of sitting up in the position he last remembered he was in. The chain clinked together loudly and drew the attention of the man.

“Hello,” he greeted. “How are you feeling?”

Even in the dimly lit room, the man seemed to exude beauty and radiance. Yeosang felt subconsciously drawn to him. 

“Be-better,” Yeosang choked out. His throat felt dry and his voice was weak. Hunger gnawed at his chest. 

The beautiful man nodded, “That’s good,” He paused to study Yeosang.

Yeosang could feel the man's steely gaze on him and stared at the ground uncomfortably.

“So I’m guessing you want to know what’s going on,” the man said at last. 

“That would be helpful,” Yeosang said. His voice sounded hoarse and broke before the last syllable. 

The man looked around and shuffled away from Yeosangs vision. From the area, he went to the sound of objects clattering and water was heard. Yeosang leaned forwards to see what was going on but the cell wall obstructed his vision and he didn’t feel like moving.

A few moments later the man came back into view with a small tin cup of water. He pushed it through the cell bars. “Here,” he offered. “For your throat.”

Yeosang graciously accepted it with a small ‘thank you’. The water was lukewarm and tasted faintly of metal.

“Well, I guess I’ll start with where you are,” the man said, squatting down on the floor to talk. “Actually no, what do you last remember before waking up here?”

Yeosang tilted his head in thought. “I think it was in a town... Aesica? And there was a pirate attack,” he froze in realization. “Am I on a pirate ship? Are you a pirate?” he accused.

The man flinched. “No! I mean, yes. Yes, you’re on a pirate ship but I’m not a pirate.” he settled down on the ground and chewed on his bottom lip nervously while trying to figure out what to say. 

“So basically this ship raided the town and took all its valuables and whatnot. But before they started the captain said to bring a few good looking people back to take as slaves. And, um, you were one of them,” the man gesticulated wildly while talking and looked anywhere but where Yeosang was.

“But you came back injured and the guy that took you kinda hit you in the head a little too hard so you were bleeding everywhere.” he continued. “So they were planning on tossing you overboard or sacrificing you to the sea gods for luck.”

Yeosangs stomach churned. ‘What the fuck.’ he thought.

“But I- someone convinced the captain not too. So the put you here and put me in charge.” the man finished with an awkward smile.

Yeosang had noticed the slip of tongue but decided against commenting on it. “What are they going to do with me?” he asked. “When I’m, you know, healed.”

“Honestly, I don’t know,” the man answered. “But the healer said that you’re ill with something so it’ll probably be in a while cause none of ‘em want to get sick too. So you’re stuck with me until you get better.” Another awkward smile.

“Oh…” Yeosang slouched against the wall in defeat and looked down at his chained hand. “If I’m sick, why am I chained up?”

The man shrugged. “Precautions in case you manage to escape.”

“Oh.”

The next few moments were of increasingly awkward silence. Yeosang cleared his throat, “W-”

A loud banging sound emanated from the door that led outside the room. “COME OUT, WE NEED YA FOR SUMTHIN.” The purple haired man jumped up to his feet. “Uh, coming!” he called out. He shot an apologetic look at Yeosang, “Sorry, gotta go.” 

“Wait!” Yeosang called out as the man was leaving. He turned around with a quizzical look.

“What’s your name?” Yeosang asked.

“My name? Oh, it’s,” the man paused. “It’s Wooyoung!” he finally declared before exiting.

“Wooyoung,” Yeosang repeated. He looked down at the tin cup in his hands. “Wooyoung…”

 

Over the course of several days, Yeosang and Wooyoung developed a tentative bond. Every day (or what seemed like every day to Yeosang), the purple-haired not pirate would stand guard in front of Yeosangs cell. Occasionally he would leave to do things and return hours later with a bucket of clean water and a tray of food.

The cell room had no windows and the only source of light was from a single weak light bulb that Wooyoung would turn on whenever he visited. The purple-haired beauty’s visits were irregular but served as Yeosangs only way to track time. He would come and stay for a few hours(?), sometimes bringing with him food and water. 

During the time he wasn’t there the lights were turned off and Yeosang was forced to lay in the suffocating darkness alone with his thoughts.

The two began conversing on the third visit after introduction as the silence became unbearable. The conversations were at short and about useless things at first, but later they evolved into a broader range of topics as the two grew more comfortable with each other.

For instance, the layout of where Yeosang’s cell was located baffled him greatly. It was in a room within a giant pirate ship that was simply a portion of a room walled and barred to be used as a single cell. When he had asked Wooyoung about it the latter replied with a shrug.

The conversations with Wooyoung helped Yeosang ease his boredom and take his mind off of thinking about pressing issues such as what would happen to him when the captain decided to bring him out. (When he had asked Wooyoung about  _ that _ , he apologized and told him that he didn’t know.)

From the conversations, Yeosang had learned quite a few (fun) facts about Wooyoung. He could touch his nose with his tongue, he liked to dance, and he possessed a keen sense of smell.

The conversations stayed mostly lighthearted and didn’t touch on heavy subjects. Wooyoung didn’t ask Yeosang about what he had done before he was captured, or why he was so frail and bruised up, and Yeosang didn’t ask him about his collar or why he was on the pirate ship when he claimed to not be one.

After twenty-two visits, Yeosang realized that he had grown slightly attached to the purple-haired male. The original blinding radiance and beauty of Wooyoung had died down the more time Yeosang spent with him, but he still felt drawn to him. Wooyoung had an alluring voice and was a good conversationalist. He was the one who brought him food and water and was his only human interaction for who knows how long.

Somewhere during the short amount of time Yeosang had known Wooyoung, he had unknowingly wedged himself in his heart whether he wanted him to or not. Yeosang knew he was being absurd, caring about this total stranger who is in a way helping keep him captive. But it wasn’t Stockholm syndrome, not really. 

He had noticed the way Wooyoung acted around the other crew members of the ship. He was constantly jitterish whenever he returned from outside and once when a pirate had come in to get him he flinched away harshly at his touch.

He noticed the bruises on Wooyoung arms and legs, and how sometimes he would come back with new cuts and a downtrodden mood. When they first talked Wooyoung had immediately denied being a pirate and referred to the ship’s crew members as “they” like he wasn’t apart of the group. Like he was an outsider.

He remembered what he had heard when he first woke up on the ship. The whispered insult and the slap. He didn’t realize until he pieced everything together that the person in the room, the person who got hit, was Wooyoung. 

The most mysterious of all was his collar. Wooyoung wore the same heavy iron collar every time he saw him, and at times he would fidget and tug on it miserably. When Yeosang asked him about it Wooyoung simply fake laughed, told him to not worry about it, and diverted the topic to something else.

Wooyoung wasn’t much different than Yeosang, he quickly realized.

At first, he had resented Wooyoung despite his kindness. He was angry about being held captive yet again. Angry because of the pain of his injuries and of the fact that he might never have freedom again. He placed the blame on Wooyoung because he was there and an easy target, but after a getting to know him the hate had melted away and gave way to more positive feelings. 

On the twenty-seventh visit, Wooyoung admitted a secret in Yeosang.

It started off like any other visit. Wooyoung had come in what could be assumed as the morning with a fresh bucket of water and a couple of some sort of stale biscuit. The two chatted about how the weather was like outside (wet, windy, and cloudy). 

About ten minutes in Yeosang noticed that Wooyoung seemed to be unusually anxious about something and asked him about it.

Wooyoung chuckled nervously. “Me? No, I’m fine.”

Yeosang knew that Wooyoung had his own secrets that he wasn’t willing to share she he kept his distance. A few more minutes passed until Wooyoung broke. “Actually, I do have something to tell you,” he said. He started fiddling with his fingers anxiously and his eyes were focused on the ground.

“What is it?”

“Well, I,” Wooyoung took a deep breath. “I’ve been meaning to tell you this for a while,” he shook his head, “Actually I’ve been wanting to tell you this but I guess I was kind of scared of what you would think,” he looked up and met Yeosangs eyes.

“What I’m trying to say is,” he paused. Yeosang sent him an encouraging look. “I’m- I'm a Siren. ”

“Oh.”

Wooyoung’s eyes were squeezed shut. “Do-do you hate me now?” he whispered softly. 

“What? I- No!” Yeosang exclaimed. “Why would you think that?”

“I don’t know, everyone else here does and there's like this whole stigma around non-humans…” Wooyoung trailed off. “I guess a lot of humans I’ve met kinda hate me because they feel like I’m going to manipulate them so I can steal their soul or something.”

Yeosang wasn’t very knowledgable about Sirens but he knew that they were usually beautiful half-human half-fish creatures who used their beautiful voices to lure sailors to death. 

All the pieces came together. He recalled what he had heard a pirate call Wooyoung that first time he woke up, ‘Witch fish.’ The collar Wooyoung always had on was made out of iron, a popular metal believed to repel faerie. The reason why Wooyoung seemed so enchanting the first time he saw him, why his voice was so beautiful-- it was because he was a Siren. 

Everything made sense now.

“Oh, well I personally don’t believe there's a problem with that. Just because there are some Sirens who do that doesn’t mean they’re all bad,” Yeosang assured him. “But, uh thank you for telling me this,” he added as an afterthought. 

‘I am crap at comforting people.’ he thought bluntly.

Wooyoung let out a breathy laugh, ”No, you’re doing fine,” he giggled.

Yeosang’s cheeks colored. “Ah, wait, did I say that out loud?” A confirming nod. “Ugh, why do I keep doing that recently,” he hung his head down and pouted. “I swear I’m losing my mind in this place,” he glanced up and saw Wooyoung was struggling not to laugh and concealed a hidden smile of his own.

 

After that, the pair’s relationship improved considerably. Wooyoung grew more comfortable around Yeosang and started telling more stories while Yeosang confided to Wooyoung some of his past.

“Wooyoung, if you don’t mind me asking, how did you end up here?” Yeosang asked one day, on his thirty-third visit.

Wooyoung looked down from the flickering light bulb he was trying to fix (it was old and sadly, the only thing keeping the two from sitting in the dark). 

“Capturing and keeping Mermaids on board is a thing on some superstitious pirate ships because having one is seen as good luck or something. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and some pirates caught me in a net thinking I was a mermaid.” He shuddered. “Almost didn’t make it out alive.”

“I’m sorry,” Yeosang replied.

Wooyoung shrugged. The light flickered unsteadily but finally grew brighter. “Don’t be,” he said. “What about you? How did you end up in Aesica?”

“How do you know I wasn’t originally from there?” Yeosang questioned.

“Simple, the other people brought in we’re all dressed finely while you looked a little worse for wear,” Wooyoung answered. “Also you have a different accent and some guy called you a criminal.”

“Oh. Well, I don’t really remember where I came from,” Yeosang answered awkwardly. He was sitting against the cell wall with his knees hugged against his chest

“I lived at an orphanage when I was younger but then I got… adopted by a guy with a few other kids. But I left his place a few years ago. I don’t really remember where it was though. After that, I kinda had to do my own to go survive. Yeah.”

Wooyoung finished fiddling with the stubborn light and turned to stare at Yeosang. His dark and somewhat suspicious eyes seemed to bore into his soul. 

“What?” Yeosang said, uncomfortable.

Wooyoung snapped out of whatever trance he was in, “Nothing!”

“Ok,” Yeosang made a face and pulled his legs in tighter, lying his chin on his knees. “The other guys that were taken…what happened to them?” he asked.

“They’re dead.”

Yeosang felt his heart drop. “What do you mean?” His mouth felt dry and his voice trembled.

“They were, well, they were used as slaves to do the rowing and stuff, and they couldn’t handle it and died,” Wooyoung explained, eyes downcast.

Yeosang turned his head to the side to look at Wooyoung. “Is that what’s going to happen to me?” 

Wooyoung hesitated, not wanting to answer. “It is isn’t it,” Yeosang supplied. He sighed. “It’s fine, you don’t have to lie. I’m going to have to get out of here eventually. I’m already healthy so that’ll probably be any day now.” He said.

Wooyoung didn’t respond.

 

“The ship is arriving at a port today and the captain wants to see you later,” Wooyoung said on his forty-fifth visit. He was standing next to the doorway. Light from the hallway behind him poured into the dark room and cast a dark eerie shadow in front of him.

Yeosang was curled up against the corner of the cell and showed no visible response.

“Just- just wanted to let you know,” Wooyoung said.

No answer. He opened his mouth to say something but decided against it last moment and left, shutting the door behind him and enveloping Yeosang back in the darkness.

After a few minutes, the dark lump rolled over and sighed.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes/ Things to remember!!
> 
> -So far everything has been in Yeosang's pov which isn't the most reliable since he's been trapped in a dark cell while sick for who knows how long. He doesn't know most of what's really going on with Wooyoung and the pirates except for the things Wooyoung tells him (which honestly isn't a lot)  
> -If you didn't catch it, at the end Wooyoung and Yeosang had a bit of a falling out sometime in between then and the scene before and that's why they were so stiff with each other  
> -The pirates on the ship they're in aren't Ateez pirates, they're coming in next chapter though  
> -Sirens in this world are mermaid-like creatures (apparently they're actually half-bird in Greek mythology? My life is a lie.) who are created when a young human dies in the ocean/sea with regrets or unfulfilled potential in life. They're all ridiculously beautiful and use their voices to lure sailors or anybody by the water to a watery death so they can steal their soul. If they get enough souls they can have the chance to be reincarnated as a human. They're classified as a faerie.
> 
> Also sorry for the long wait! Procrastination, writer's block, and school hit me hard 🤧 TXT also debuted which distracted me for the past few days (I love them sm??? They're so cute and have a lotta bops)
> 
> The ending is a little rushed because I forced myself to finish this chapter before I procrastinate even more and never finish. There's also a bunch of awkward scenes placed in random places :/ sorry
> 
> And thank you so much for your comments! :')


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi  
> It's me  
> It //only// took like a month and a half but I'm finally back with an update (yay?)  
> Idk what happened but procrastination and writer's block took over and before I knew it a month passed and the chapter was still half written until I finally finished this chapter after fuel from being productive with homework took over today  
> TW for this chapter: Gore?

_ Nine Years Prior _

“This is Mr. Jeong, he will be your new father once the adoption papers are completed,” the orphanage matron said briskly as she marched into a small barren room with a tall man in tow.

The small boy sitting on the rickety bed, the tips of his toes barely brushing against the floor, tilted his head up to look at the strange man with immediate distrustful eyes. “I don’t like him,” he stated bluntly. 

The woman's eyes widened as she glanced over at the man nervously. “Now now Yeosang,” she said. She hurried over and crouched down and held on to the boy’s little hands, “Sweetie, you’re getting too old for this place,” she whispered hurriedly in his ears. 

“You know how overcrowded it is here with all the new children coming in from the war. You’ve been here for the longest so the higher-ups want you gone. You need to be taken in by someone soon and Mr. Jeong wants you, this is the perfect opportunity.”

“But I don’t like him,” Yeosang replied, bottom lip jutting out in a small pout.

“Mr. Jeong is a nice man, he has money and has expressed interest in you. You’ll be better off with him than here with us.”

“But-”

“No buts,” The woman stood back up, giving Yeosang a final look of warning. “I’ll leave you two with each other for a bit to get acquainted while I go get the papers, would that be alright?” 

“No,” Yeosang said the same moment the man replied with, “That would be splendid.”

The matron chuckled nervously and hurried out of the room with one last pointed glare at Yeosang.

Left alone in the room with the stranger, Yeosang turned his head around and stared at the wall defiantly. Something about Mr. Jeong unsettled him. He couldn’t pinpoint what exactly, but the way the man looked at him made him feel uneasy and jitterish like something wrong was going to happen.

After a short moment, he quickly peeked around to find the man staring at him with ravenous eyes, taking in every part of his body with thirsty eyes. Immediately warning signs flared up in his mind. 

‘Creep alert! It’s a pervert!’ he thought.

“What are you doing?” He asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest and scooting closer against the wall.

Mr. Jeong cocked a dark brow, “What am I doing?” he said. “What am I doing? You dare question me?” his voice was deep and cold.

The atmosphere of the room abruptly shifted. It grew dark and tense. A heavy feeling in Yeosangs chest coiled up and spread across his entire body. The corners of the room became cloaked in murky shadows as the man's voice became blurred and echoed.

“Gunho was never like this,” Mr. Jeong snarled. He took a step closer to the bed. “You were always a rebellious little boy, were you? Always such a huge pain in the ass. Never wanted to do what’s told. I almost thought I had you tamed but then you had to go and kill me!”

His twisted face was inching closer and closer to Yeosangs own, warping into a blood splatted monster with one veiny eye popping out and bloody bruised dents covering his head and face. 

“Get-get away from me!” Yeosang shrieked, stumbling backward. His elbows banged against the wall and he curled in on himself, hiding his face.

He wasn’t a child anymore. Now he was sixteen, bloodstained and terrified. From the distance, he heard the sound of explosions and screaming. 

“Gunho was such a good little boy, you loved him didn’t you? How pathetic. Love. He misbehaved so I took him away from you and you FREAKED OUT!” Mr. Jeong's voice trembled and pitched, his face was now an unrecognizable mess of blood and gore. 

Yeosang squeezed his eyes shut and covered his face with his arms. “Please, just go away. Please please pleasepleaseplease…” he whimpered. “You’re not real you’re not real it’s just a dream you’re dead you’re dead.” His breathing was ragged and came out in short panicked bursts.

“LOOK AT ME YOU SLUT,” Mr. Jeong screeched. “LOOK AT MY FACE! THIS IS WHAT YOU’VE DONE TO ME!”

Yeosangs hands were forcibly wrenched away from his face and his eyes forced to look up at the deformed figure. “Stop it!” He cried out struggling against his hold. Panic and fear overwhelmed his entire being. “Stop- STOP-“

 

Yeosang shot up from the floor panting heavily. His heart ricocheted around his chest and beads of sweat trickled down his back. He could still faintly hear the sounds of tortured screaming and explosions. 

‘Why did I have a dream about that. Why now?’ He groaned as he roughly rubbed at his face with his hands. “Not the time brain, not the time,” he scolded lightly. His heart was still thrumming wildly in his chest and he swore he could still hear the sounds of screaming.

‘I’m going insane,’ he thought glumly. ‘This has never happened before, why are do my dreams seem so realistic?’ He stuck his arms out and felt for the wall. The room was pitch black so his eyes couldn’t adjust to any light. 

Giving up he dropped down and lied on the ground, not able to find the energy to do anything. 

A few moments later Yeosang felt the ground shudder. He froze, he hadn’t imagined that. Yeosang propped himself back up and looked around the darkness frantically.

From across the room, the sound of a doorknob jiggling was heard and Yeosangs heart froze. Fear flooded his entire being. After a few seconds, the sound stopped and Yeosang prayed it would be over.

A few moments later the door flew open and light flooded the room. Yeosang winced at the brightness and covered his eyes to avoid the burn.

The unhinged door smashed against the cell bars and rattled loudly, falling onto the floor with a vibrating clank. Yeosang stared at it and then up at the three intruders coming in.

There were three men, all young and pretty looking. The first guy had bulging arm muscles and seemed to be the one who knocked the door down. Behind him were two less muscular guys. The blond haired man had a delicate fairy-like face with a strange mystical aura about him while the pink haired one was taller, with thick lips and an oddly familiar face.

Mentally, Yeosang dubbed them as Muscles, Blondy, and Pinky.

“There’s someone in here,” Muscles said walking in carefully, possibly not noticing Yeosang sitting in his cell. The tall pink haired man looked up at the ceiling and tugged at the light bulb string. The dull light slowly flickered on and illuminated the room.

“Oh, there’s someone in the cell!” Blondy said. His voice was light and tinkled like wind chimes in a gentle breeze. Muscles looked down on Yeosangs pathetic shivering figure let out a confused “huh.”

_ Why  _ were they all so attractive? Yeosang thought.

Pinky leaned down and whispered something in Muscles ears. While the two were engaged in their discussion, Blondy was scanning the room curiously. His dark puppy-like eyes (Yeosang couldn’t believe he was actually using that term to describe someone) made contact with Yeosangs own and blearily he realized how terrible he must’ve looked. 

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Yeosang’s brain asked the four w’s. Who were those beautiful strangers? Why were they here? What are they doing and where the fuck was Wooyoung?

Somewhere above the ceiling, another explosion rocked the ship. Yeosang looked up anxiously while Pinky and Muscles still whispered to each other under their breaths.

Yeosang was bewildered. Before he could muster up the courage to say something, Muscles went over to his cell and shouldered the cell door down.

The formerly strong and standing metal bars collapsed and flew across the cell in an instant. Either the bars were secretly really weak and Yeosang didn’t try hard enough when he tried escaping, or the muscly man possessed superhuman strength. Yeosang opted for the latter option.

“What the fu- who are you?” Yeosang exclaimed. Pinky had retrieved the chain keys from somewhere next to the cell and was twirling the key ring around his finger lazily. Something in the back of Yeosangs mind nagged at him. He was positive he knew Pinky from somewhere, but he couldn’t put a finger to where.

“Are you a prisoner?” Blondy asked. Yeosang gave him a blank stare in response. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Who the fuck are you,” Yeosang said.

“Pirates,” Bondly grinned, exposing his gleaming white teeth. “Well, not the pirates of this trashy ship, but of another one that’s invading this one. Now if you excuse us, we’ll be taking you out now.”

Pinky unlocked the chains connecting Yeosang to the wall and resecured them around his wrists behind his back. Yeosang didn’t resist and let the men take him away. There was no point and struggling, there were three of them and they would most definitely overpower him.

The three invading pirates led Yeosang through twisty shadowy halls, stopping every once in a while to open up doors and look around. After a while, the three of them led Yeosang up to what must’ve been the deck of the ship. 

The first thing Yeosang processed was the sun, the big, beautiful, bright, warm sun.

After spending so much time in a dark, damp cell he had almost forgotten how it felt to stand out in broad daylight, to see the beautiful blue expanse of the sky and to feel the sun’s warmth on his skin.

The second thing he noticed was the heavy metallic scent of heat, saltwater, and blood hanging thick in the air. Lying scattered around the ground were the bloodied bodies of dead pirates. Yeosang awkwardly sidestepped the body of a particularly beaten pirate and winced in slight sympathy.

Scuttling around through doors and other areas of the ship were people (the invading pirates?) carrying barrels of what appeared to be food and weapons. They rolled the articles over to the side of the ship and onto a significantly larger ship parked next to it.

Yeosang squinted his eyes against the blinding sun looking up to examine the flag on top of the ship. 

‘No, it can’t be.’ Yeosangs heart dropped, his body felt cold suddenly despite the suffocating heat. His dark eyes anxiously flickered around looking at Pinky, at Blondy, at Muscles and at every other person standing on the deck. “It can’t be,” he whispered faintly. 

The flag was black, with a bright orange logo stamped on in the middle. It was of a thin rectangular parallelogram and underneath in big blocking lettering were the letters ‘A T E E Z’.

The most infamous and controversial pirate crew in possibly all time, led by the brutal man nicked named the Pirate King, were the ones invading this ship.

Yeosang was so screwed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I feel like parts of the beginning and the end feels super rushed and sloppy but I didn't want to over-edit or else I'll never update so I left it like that. It's also like 11:50 at night and I'm rushing to post this so sorry for any mistakes!
> 
> From now I'm going to try to keep chapters shorter than they were before because otherwise it'll take forever for me to finish them. This chapter was originally supposed to be (much) longer but I smartened up and cut it in half or else this update would've happened in like, june. yikes
> 
> Blondy, Pinky, and Muscles are Minhyuk, Hyungwon, and Wonho from Monsta X (Jealousy era) and one of them (or all of them hmmm) will be vital to the plot 
> 
> Comments are very appreciated and thank you sm for reading this !


End file.
